Wahkiakum County, WA elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Wahkiakum County: 26 seats on 11 elected bodies. 7 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
Board of County Commissioners
Wahkiakum County Board of Commissioners
Each member is elected by the voters of their district.
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 16 local governments in Wahkiakum County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.
Kind of government
Census count (2022)
Listed on this page
County government
1
1
Cities, towns, villages and townships
1
1
School districts (school boards)
1
1
Special districts (elected boards)
13
2
Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).
About these counts
The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.
Who lives in Wahkiakum County
4,658people
54.5median ageU.S.: 38.9
$62,653 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
17.8%below the U.S.: 12.5%
21.8%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$396,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2.3%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
15.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
4.3%U.S.: 8.4%
77.4%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
44%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 5.6% · White 84.9% · Black 0.8% · Asian 1.7% · Other or more than one race 7% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)
Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).
About these figures
The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.
Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.
Jobs in Wahkiakum County
5.6%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 6.2%. Washington: 4.3%.
66people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
1,107people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
1,173in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
5.6%
66
1,107
1,173
August 2026
6.6%
78
1,104
1,182
July 2026
5.8%
69
1,113
1,182
June 2026
6.4%
75
1,097
1,172
May 2026
7.7%
95
1,138
1,233
April 2026
7.8%
95
1,118
1,213
March 2026
7.7%
94
1,125
1,219
February 2026
7.6%
94
1,150
1,244
January 2026
7.3%
91
1,150
1,241
December 2025
7.8%
99
1,164
1,263
November 2025
7.2%
90
1,168
1,258
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
6.2%
77
1,162
1,239
August 2025
6.9%
85
1,143
1,228
July 2025
7.1%
87
1,134
1,221
June 2025
6.0%
71
1,120
1,191
May 2025
6.1%
73
1,116
1,189
April 2025
6.0%
72
1,119
1,191
March 2025
6.6%
79
1,111
1,190
February 2025
8.1%
99
1,117
1,216
January 2025
7.1%
87
1,143
1,230
December 2024
6.5%
78
1,131
1,209
November 2024
6.8%
82
1,120
1,202
October 2024
6.6%
80
1,127
1,207
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
6.9%
84
1,136
1,220
2024
7.3%
90
1,146
1,236
2023
6.6%
84
1,198
1,282
2022
6.3%
80
1,195
1,275
2021
6.8%
87
1,191
1,278
2020
9.0%
120
1,215
1,335
2019
7.0%
93
1,227
1,320
2018
7.1%
90
1,175
1,265
2017
7.6%
94
1,147
1,241
2016
9.1%
113
1,131
1,244
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Washington's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.8% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.
Crime reported in Wahkiakum County
122.9 per 100,0002025. Washington: 283.9.
655.5 per 100,0002025. Washington: 1,974.8.
0murders2025, 6 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
6
122.9
32
655.5
2024
6
121.3
18
363.8
2023
11
228.5
32
664.9
2021
9
199.2
47
1,040.1
2020
6
132.4
34
750.1
2019
4
89.5
32
716.0
2018
7
161.9
47
1,087.2
2017
4
95.7
54
1,291.9
2016
9
221.0
42
1,031.4
By police agency (1)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Wahkiakum County Sheriff's Office
2025
6
32
4,882
Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Washington · the U.S.
Police staffing
1.23 per 1,000 residents2025, 1 agency serving 4,882 people.
6sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
12civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (1), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Wahkiakum County Sheriff's Office
6
12
4,882
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
6
1.23
12
1
2024
7
1.41
12
1
2023
10
2.08
11
1
2022
9
1.90
11
1
2021
9
1.99
11
1
2020
9
1.99
11
1
2019
9
2.01
11
1
2018
6
1.39
10
1
2017
8
1.91
11
1
2016
8
1.96
11
1
Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.
Quick answers
Who is the Wahkiakum County County Assessor?
Drew Jenkins (Independent) is the County Assessor of Wahkiakum County, Washington. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Wahkiakum County County Auditor?
Nicci Bergseng (Independent) is the County Auditor of Wahkiakum County, Washington. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Wahkiakum County County Clerk?
Jess Reddon (Independent) is the County Clerk of Wahkiakum County, Washington. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Wahkiakum County Prosecuting Attorney?
Dan Bigelow (Democratic) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Wahkiakum County, Washington. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Wahkiakum County Sheriff?
John Mason (Independent) is the Sheriff of Wahkiakum County, Washington. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Wahkiakum County County Treasurer?
Tammy Peterson (Independent) is the County Treasurer of Wahkiakum County, Washington. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Wahkiakum County commissioners?
Lee Tischer (District 1); Dan Cothren (District 2); Eugene C. "Gene" Strong (District 3).
Who is on the Wahkiakum County School Board?
Shawn Merz (Director Position 1); Brian Heston (Director Position 2); Sue O'Connor (Director Position 3); Patty Anderson (Director Position 4 (at large)); Bobbie Stefan (Director Position 5 (at large)).
What is the population of Wahkiakum County?
About 4,658 people, with a median age of 54.5; the median household income is $62,653 and 17.8% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Wahkiakum County?
5.6% in September 2026 (preliminary): 66 people unemployed in a labor force of 1,173, against 6.2% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Wahkiakum County?
16 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 1 municipal, 1 school district and 13 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Wahkiakum County?
1: Cathlamet. Each has its own page with its mayor and council.
Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Washington Secretary of State's certified results of each seat's last general election (2021–2025); officials appointed since then may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.
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